[Harp-L] Zep harp

[MANFRED WEWERS <mwewers@xxxxxxxxxx>]

All this talk about Led Zeppelin started to bring back memories.  They played Toronto three times, that I recall, and of those, twice, at the Rock Pile. The first was on Feb. 2, 1969, before they made it big.  My friend Buzz Shearmann (deceased and formerly with Moxy and a harmonica player)  was then in a band called Sherman and Peabody, who opened for them.  A local band, Mary-Lou Horner, which had a killer harmonica player, also opened.   I honestly don't remember if Plant played the harmonica; he probably did.  Tickets were $2.50.  At the second show in Aug. 18, 1969 (by now they are big), they shut down the Rock Pile, Toronto's version of the US Filmores, because they demanded more money before they would play.  They got paid but the Rock Pile went bust.  It was a great loss for Toronto.    Paul Butterfield, John Mayal, Blood Sweat and Tears, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck,  Alice Cooper, Chicago, the Who (my front row, floor ticket was
 $3.00), and many, many more, all played the Rock Pile.  Led Zeppelin also played the O'Keefe Centre on Nov. 2, 1969.  I didn't go; it was $5.00 a ticket.
 
So I checked my LZ albums, the first 9 on regular release, and found harmonica, played by Plant, on 7 songs on 6 of the albums.  The first album does give W. Dixon credit for 2 songs.
 
Plant also plays harmonica on his own albums and with other artists such as Primal Scream, PJ Proby, Alexis Korner and Francis Dunnery.
 
Jimmy Page has also given the harmonica "a whirl".  Check out Cloverdale.Page (Geffen-24487-1993) which also features John Harris on harmonica.
 
>From the old days...Manfred Wewers